1
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Pusara S, Wenzel W, Kozlowska M. Impact of DNA on interactions between core proteins of Hepatitis B virus-like particles comprising different C-terminals. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 263:130365. [PMID: 38401590 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.130365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) virus-like particles (VLPs) are promising therapeutic agents derived from HBV core proteins (Cp). This study investigates the assembly dynamics of HBV VLPs, which is crucial for their potential as drug carriers or gene delivery systems. Coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations explore the impact of C-terminal domain length (in the Cp ranging from Cp149 to wild-type Cp183) on Cp assembly and stability, particularly in the presence of DNA. Our findings reveal that the C-terminal nucleic acid binding region significantly influences Cp assembly and stability of trimers comprising Cp dimers. Shorter C-terminal domains (Cp164, Cp167) enhance stability and protein-protein interactions, while interactions between naturally occurring Cp183 are destabilized in the absence of DNA. Interestingly, DNA addition further stabilizes Cp assemblies, and this effect is influenced by the length of the nucleic acid binding region. Shorter C-terminal domains show less dependency on DNA content. This stabilization is attributed to electrostatic forces between positively charged C-terminal chains and negatively charged nucleic acids. Our study sheds light on the molecular mechanisms governing protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions in HBV VLP assembly, providing insights into Cp processability and informing the development of efficient gene therapy carriers using VLP technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Srdjan Pusara
- Institute of Nanotechnology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology KIT, Kaiserstraße 12, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Wenzel
- Institute of Nanotechnology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology KIT, Kaiserstraße 12, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Mariana Kozlowska
- Institute of Nanotechnology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology KIT, Kaiserstraße 12, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany.
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2
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Narayanan T. Recent advances in synchrotron scattering methods for probing the structure and dynamics of colloids. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 2024; 325:103114. [PMID: 38452431 DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2024.103114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Recent progress in synchrotron based X-ray scattering methods applied to colloid science is reviewed. An important figure of merit of these techniques is that they enable in situ investigations of colloidal systems under the desired thermophysical and rheological conditions. An ensemble averaged simultaneous structural and dynamical information can be derived albeit in reciprocal space. Significant improvements in X-ray source brilliance and advances in detector technology have overcome some of the limitations in the past. Notably coherent X-ray scattering techniques have become more competitive and they provide complementary information to laboratory based real space methods. For a system with sufficient scattering contrast, size ranges from nm to several μm and time scales down to μs are now amenable to X-ray scattering investigations. A wide variety of sample environments can be combined with scattering experiments further enriching the science that could be pursued by means of advanced X-ray scattering instruments. Some of these recent progresses are illustrated via representative examples. To derive quantitative information from the scattering data, rigorous data analysis or modeling is required. Development of powerful computational tools including the use of artificial intelligence have become the emerging trend.
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3
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Ghaemi Z, Nafiu O, Tajkhorshid E, Gruebele M, Hu J. A computational spatial whole-Cell model for hepatitis B viral infection and drug interactions. Sci Rep 2023; 13:21392. [PMID: 38049515 PMCID: PMC10695947 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-45998-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite a vaccine, hepatitis B virus (HBV) remains a world-wide source of infections and deaths. We develop a whole-cell computational platform combining spatial and kinetic models describing the infection cycle of HBV in a hepatocyte host. We simulate key parts of the infection cycle with this whole-cell platform for 10 min of biological time, to predict infection progression, map out virus-host and virus-drug interactions. We find that starting from an established infection, decreasing the copy number of the viral envelope proteins shifts the dominant infection pathway from capsid secretion to re-importing the capsids into the nucleus, resulting in more nuclear-localized viral covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) and boosting transcription. This scenario can mimic the consequence of drugs designed to manipulate viral gene expression. Mutating capsid proteins facilitates capsid destabilization and disassembly at nuclear pore complexes, resulting in an increase in cccDNA copy number. However, excessive destabilization leads to premature cytoplasmic disassembly and does not increase the cccDNA counts. Finally, our simulations can predict the best drug dosage and its administration timing to reduce the cccDNA counts. Our adaptable computational platform can be parameterized to study other viruses and identify the most central viral pathways that can be targeted by drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaleh Ghaemi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
- National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center for Quantitative Cell Biology, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
| | - Oluwadara Nafiu
- Carle-Illinois College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Emad Tajkhorshid
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center for Quantitative Cell Biology, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Martin Gruebele
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center for Quantitative Cell Biology, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- Carle-Illinois College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Jianming Hu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA
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4
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Raviv U, Asor R, Shemesh A, Ginsburg A, Ben-Nun T, Schilt Y, Levartovsky Y, Ringel I. Insight into structural biophysics from solution X-ray scattering. J Struct Biol 2023; 215:108029. [PMID: 37741561 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2023.108029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/25/2023]
Abstract
The current challenges of structural biophysics include determining the structure of large self-assembled complexes, resolving the structure of ensembles of complex structures and their mass fraction, and unraveling the dynamic pathways and mechanisms leading to the formation of complex structures from their subunits. Modern synchrotron solution X-ray scattering data enable simultaneous high-spatial and high-temporal structural data required to address the current challenges of structural biophysics. These data are complementary to crystallography, NMR, and cryo-TEM data. However, the analysis of solution scattering data is challenging; hence many different analysis tools, listed in the SAS Portal (http://smallangle.org/), were developed. In this review, we start by briefly summarizing classical X-ray scattering analyses providing insight into fundamental structural and interaction parameters. We then describe recent developments, integrating simulations, theory, and advanced X-ray scattering modeling, providing unique insights into the structure, energetics, and dynamics of self-assembled complexes. The structural information is essential for understanding the underlying physical chemistry principles leading to self-assembled supramolecular architectures and computational structural refinement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uri Raviv
- Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel; The Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel.
| | - Roi Asor
- Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
| | - Asaf Shemesh
- Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
| | - Avi Ginsburg
- Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
| | - Tal Ben-Nun
- Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
| | - Yaelle Schilt
- Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
| | - Yehonatan Levartovsky
- Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
| | - Israel Ringel
- Institute for Drug Research, School of Pharmacy, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 9112102 Jerusalem, Israel
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5
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Asor R, Singaram SW, Levi-Kalisman Y, Hagan MF, Raviv U. Effect of ionic strength on the assembly of simian vacuolating virus capsid protein around poly(styrene sulfonate). THE EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL. E, SOFT MATTER 2023; 46:107. [PMID: 37917241 DOI: 10.1140/epje/s10189-023-00363-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Virus-like particles (VLPs) are noninfectious nanocapsules that can be used for drug delivery or vaccine applications. VLPs can be assembled from virus capsid proteins around a condensing agent, such as RNA, DNA, or a charged polymer. Electrostatic interactions play an important role in the assembly reaction. VLPs assemble from many copies of capsid protein, with a combinatorial number of intermediates. Hence, the mechanism of the reaction is poorly understood. In this paper, we combined solution small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), cryo-transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and computational modeling to determine the effect of ionic strength on the assembly of Simian Vacuolating Virus 40 (SV40)-like particles. We mixed poly(styrene sulfonate) with SV40 capsid protein pentamers at different ionic strengths. We then characterized the assembly product by SAXS and cryo-TEM. To analyze the data, we performed Langevin dynamics simulations using a coarse-grained model that revealed incomplete, asymmetric VLP structures consistent with the experimental data. We found that close to physiological ionic strength, [Formula: see text] VLPs coexisted with VP1 pentamers. At lower or higher ionic strengths, incomplete particles coexisted with pentamers and [Formula: see text] particles. Including the simulated structures was essential to explain the SAXS data in a manner that is consistent with the cryo-TEM images.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roi Asor
- Institute of Chemistry and the Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, 9190401, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Surendra W Singaram
- Department of Physics, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham, 02453, MA, USA
| | - Yael Levi-Kalisman
- Institute of Life Sciences and the Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, 9190401, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Michael F Hagan
- Department of Physics, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham, 02453, MA, USA.
| | - Uri Raviv
- Institute of Chemistry and the Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, 9190401, Jerusalem, Israel.
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6
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Clark AB, Safdari M, Zoorob S, Zandi R, van der Schoot P. Relaxational dynamics of the T-number conversion of virus capsids. J Chem Phys 2023; 159:084904. [PMID: 37610017 DOI: 10.1063/5.0160822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
We extend a recently proposed kinetic theory of virus capsid assembly based on Model A kinetics and study the dynamics of the interconversion of virus capsids of different sizes triggered by a quench, that is, by sudden changes in the solution conditions. The work is inspired by in vitro experiments on functionalized coat proteins of the plant virus cowpea chlorotic mottle virus, which undergo a reversible transition between two different shell sizes (T = 1 and T = 3) upon changing the acidity and salinity of the solution. We find that the relaxation dynamics are governed by two time scales that, in almost all cases, can be identified as two distinct processes. Initially, the monomers and one of the two types of capsids respond to the quench. Subsequently, the monomer concentration remains essentially constant, and the conversion between the two capsid species completes. In the intermediate stages, a long-lived metastable steady state may present itself, where the thermodynamically less stable species predominate. We conclude that a Model A based relaxational model can reasonably describe the early and intermediate stages of the conversion experiments. However, it fails to provide a good representation of the time evolution of the state of assembly of the coat proteins in the very late stages of equilibration when one of the two species disappears from the solution. It appears that explicitly incorporating the nucleation barriers to assembly and disassembly is crucial for an accurate description of the experimental findings, at least under conditions where these barriers are sufficiently large.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Bryan Clark
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, USA
| | - Mohammadamin Safdari
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, USA
| | - Selim Zoorob
- Biophysics Graduate Program, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, USA
| | - Roya Zandi
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, USA
- Biophysics Graduate Program, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, USA
| | - Paul van der Schoot
- Department of Applied Physics and Science Education, Eindhoven University of Technology, Postbus 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
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7
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Lynch DL, Pavlova A, Fan Z, Gumbart JC. Understanding Virus Structure and Dynamics through Molecular Simulations. J Chem Theory Comput 2023. [PMID: 37192279 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.3c00116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Viral outbreaks remain a serious threat to human and animal populations and motivate the continued development of antiviral drugs and vaccines, which in turn benefits from a detailed understanding of both viral structure and dynamics. While great strides have been made in characterizing these systems experimentally, molecular simulations have proven to be an essential, complementary approach. In this work, we review the contributions of molecular simulations to the understanding of viral structure, functional dynamics, and processes related to the viral life cycle. Approaches ranging from coarse-grained to all-atom representations are discussed, including current efforts at modeling complete viral systems. Overall, this review demonstrates that computational virology plays an essential role in understanding these systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diane L Lynch
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Anna Pavlova
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Zixing Fan
- Interdisciplinary Bioengineering Graduate Program, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - James C Gumbart
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
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8
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Sato D, Hikima T, Ikeguchi M. Time-Resolved Small-Angle X-Ray Scattering of Protein Cage Assembly. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2671:211-218. [PMID: 37308647 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3222-2_12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Recent improvements in X-ray detectors and synchrotron light sources have made it possible to measure time-resolved small-angle X-ray scattering (TR-SAXS) at millisecond time resolution. As an example, in this chapter we describe the beamline setup, experimental scheme, and the points that should be noted in stopped-flow TR-SAXS experiments for investigating the ferritin assembly reaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisuke Sato
- Department of Bioinformatics, Soka University, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Masamichi Ikeguchi
- Department of Bioinformatics, Soka University, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan.
- Department of Biosciences, Soka University, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan.
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9
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Mohajerani F, Tyukodi B, Schlicksup CJ, Hadden-Perilla JA, Zlotnick A, Hagan MF. Multiscale Modeling of Hepatitis B Virus Capsid Assembly and Its Dimorphism. ACS NANO 2022; 16:13845-13859. [PMID: 36054910 PMCID: PMC10273259 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.2c02119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is an endemic, chronic virus that leads to 800000 deaths per year. Central to the HBV lifecycle, the viral core has a protein capsid assembled from many copies of a single protein. The capsid protein adopts different (quasi-equivalent) conformations to form icosahedral capsids containing 180 or 240 proteins: T = 3 or T = 4, respectively, in Caspar-Klug nomenclature. HBV capsid assembly has become an important target for recently developed antivirals; nonetheless, the assembly pathways and mechanisms that control HBV dimorphism remain unclear. We describe computer simulations of the HBV assembly, using a coarse-grained model that has parameters learned from all-atom molecular dynamics simulations of a complete HBV capsid and yet is computationally tractable. Dynamical simulations with the resulting model reproduce experimental observations of HBV assembly pathways and products. By constructing Markov state models and employing transition path theory, we identify pathways leading to T = 3, T = 4, and other experimentally observed capsid morphologies. The analysis shows that capsid polymorphism is promoted by the low HBV capsid bending modulus, where the key factors controlling polymorphism are the conformational energy landscape and protein-protein binding affinities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farzaneh Mohajerani
- Martin A. Fisher School of Physics, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts02453, United States
| | - Botond Tyukodi
- Martin A. Fisher School of Physics, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts02453, United States
- Department of Physics, Babeş-Bolyai University, 400084Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Christopher J Schlicksup
- Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Department, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana47405, United States
| | - Jodi A Hadden-Perilla
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware19716, United States
| | - Adam Zlotnick
- Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Department, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana47405, United States
| | - Michael F Hagan
- Martin A. Fisher School of Physics, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts02453, United States
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10
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Timmermans SBPE, Ramezani A, Montalvo T, Nguyen M, van der Schoot P, van Hest JCM, Zandi R. The Dynamics of Viruslike Capsid Assembly and Disassembly. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:12608-12612. [PMID: 35792573 PMCID: PMC9305980 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c04074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Cowpea chlorotic
mottle virus (CCMV) is a widely used model for
virus replication studies. A major challenge lies in distinguishing
between the roles of the interaction between coat proteins and that
between the coat proteins and the viral RNA in assembly and disassembly
processes. Here, we report on the spontaneous and reversible size
conversion of the empty capsids of a CCMV capsid protein functionalized
with a hydrophobic elastin-like polypeptide which occurs following
a pH jump. We monitor the concentrations of T = 3
and T = 1 capsids as a function of time and show
that the time evolution of the conversion from one T number to another is not symmetric: The conversion from T = 1 to T = 3 is a factor of 10 slower
than that of T = 3 to T = 1. We
explain our experimental findings using a simple model based on classical
nucleation theory applied to virus capsids, in which we account for
the change in the free protein concentration, as the different types
of shells assemble and disassemble by shedding or absorbing single
protein subunits. As far as we are aware, this is the first study
confirming that both the assembly and disassembly of viruslike shells
can be explained through classical nucleation theory, reproducing
quantitatively results from time-resolved experiments
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne B. P. E. Timmermans
- Bio-Organic Chemistry Research Group, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Alireza Ramezani
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Toni Montalvo
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Mark Nguyen
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Paul van der Schoot
- Soft Matter and Biological Physics Group, Department of Applied Physics, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Jan C. M. van Hest
- Bio-Organic Chemistry Research Group, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Roya Zandi
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, United States
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11
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Dragnea B. Viruses: A Physical Chemistry Perspective. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:4411-4414. [PMID: 35734854 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c03430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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12
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de Bruijn R, Wielstra PCM, Calcines-Cruz C, van Waveren T, Hernandez-Garcia A, van der Schoot P. A kinetic model for the impact of packaging signal mimics on genome encapsulation. Biophys J 2022; 121:2583-2599. [PMID: 35642255 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2022.05.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Inspired by recent experiments on the spontaneous assembly of virus-like particles from a solution containing a synthetic coat protein and double-stranded DNA, we put forward a kinetic model that has as main ingredients a stochastic nucleation and a deterministic growth process. The efficiency and rate of DNA packaging strongly increase after tiling the DNA with CRISPR-Cas proteins at predesignated locations, mimicking assembly signals in viruses. Our model shows that treating these proteins as nucleation-inducing diffusion barriers is sufficient to explain the experimentally observed increase in encapsulation efficiency, but only if the nucleation rate is sufficiently high. We find an optimum in the encapsulation kinetics for conditions where the number of packaging signal mimics is equal to the number of nucleation events that can occur during the time required to fully encapsulate the DNA template, presuming that the nucleation events can only take place adjacent to a packaging signal. Our theory is in satisfactory agreement with the available experimental data.
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Affiliation(s)
- René de Bruijn
- Department of Applied Physics, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, the Netherlands; Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, the Netherlands.
| | | | - Carlos Calcines-Cruz
- Department of Chemistry of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Chemistry, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Tom van Waveren
- Department of Applied Physics, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, the Netherlands
| | - Armando Hernandez-Garcia
- Department of Chemistry of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Chemistry, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Paul van der Schoot
- Department of Applied Physics, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, the Netherlands
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13
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Starr CA, Barnes LF, Jarrold MF, Zlotnick A. Hysteresis in Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) Requires Assembly of Near-Perfect Capsids. Biochemistry 2022; 61:505-513. [PMID: 35258283 PMCID: PMC9443786 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.1c00810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The hepatitis B virus (HBV) must release its contents to initiate infection, making capsid disassembly critical to the viral life cycle. Capsid assembly proceeds through a cascade of weak interactions between copies of capsid protein (Cp) to yield uniform particles. However, there is a hysteresis to capsid dissociation that allows capsids to persist under conditions where they could not assemble. In this study, we have sought to define the basis of hysteresis by examining urea-induced dissociation of in vitro-assembled HBV capsids. In general, capsid samples show a mixture of two pools, differentiated by stability. Labile capsid dissociation corresponds to an ∼5 μM pseudocritical concentration of assembly (pcc), the same as that observed in assembly reactions. Dissociation of the stable pool corresponds to a subfemtomolar pcc, indicative of hysteresis. The fraction of stable capsids in an assembly reaction increases with the integrity of the Cp preparation and when association is performed at a higher ionic strength, which modifies the Cp conformation. Labile complexes are more prevalent when assembly conditions yield many kinetically trapped (incomplete and overgrown) products. Cp isolated from stable capsids reassembles into a mixture of stable and labile capsids. These results suggest that hysteresis arises from an ideal capsid lattice, even when some of the substituents in that lattice have defects. Consistent with structural studies that show a subtle difference between Cp dimers and Cp in capsid, we propose that hysteresis arises when HBV capsids undergo a lattice-dependent structural transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caleb A. Starr
- – Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Department, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405
| | - Lauren F. Barnes
- – Chemistry Department, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405
| | | | - Adam Zlotnick
- – Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Department, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405
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14
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Ruszkowski M, Strugala A, Indyka P, Tresset G, Figlerowicz M, Urbanowicz A. Cryo-EM reconstructions of BMV-derived virus-like particles reveal assembly defects in the icosahedral lattice structure. NANOSCALE 2022; 14:3224-3233. [PMID: 35156989 DOI: 10.1039/d1nr05650f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The increasing interest in virus-like particles (VLPs) has been reflected by the growing number of studies on their assembly and application. However, the formation of complete VLPs is a complex phenomenon, making it difficult to rationally design VLPs with desired features de novo. In this paper, we describe VLPs assembled in vitro from the recombinant capsid protein of brome mosaic virus (BMV). The analysis of VLPs was performed by Cryo-EM reconstructions and allowed us to visualize a few classes of VLPs, giving insight into the VLP self-assembly process. Apart from the mature icosahedral VLP practically identical with native virions, we describe putative VLP intermediates displaying non-icosahedral arrangements of capsomers, proposed to occur before the final disorder-order transition stage of icosahedral VLP assembly. Some of the described VLP classes show a lack of protein shell continuity, possibly resulting from too strong interaction with the cargo (in this case tRNA) with the capsid protein. We believe that our results are a useful prerequisite for the rational design of VLPs in the future and lead the way to the effective production of modified VLPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milosz Ruszkowski
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland.
| | - Aleksander Strugala
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland.
| | - Paulina Indyka
- Jagiellonian University, Solaris National Synchrotron Radiation Centre, Czerwone Maki 98, 30-392 Cracow, Poland
- Jagiellonian University, Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology (MCB), 30-387 Cracow, Poland
| | - Guillaume Tresset
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, 91405 Orsay, France
| | - Marek Figlerowicz
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland.
| | - Anna Urbanowicz
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland.
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15
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Sagar A, Bernadó P. Disentangling polydisperse biomolecular systems by Chemometrics decomposition of SAS data. Methods Enzymol 2022; 677:531-555. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2022.08.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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16
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Wang C, Zhai N, Zhao Y, Wu F, Luo X, Ju X, Liu G, Liu H. Exploration of Novel Hepatitis B Virus Capsid Assembly Modulators by Integrated Molecular Simulations. ChemistrySelect 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/slct.202102965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chenchen Wang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Novel Reactor and Green Chemical Technology Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Process of Ministry of Education School of Chemical Engineering and Pharmacy Wuhan Institute of Technology Wuhan 430205 Hubei P. R. China
| | - Na Zhai
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Novel Reactor and Green Chemical Technology Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Process of Ministry of Education School of Chemical Engineering and Pharmacy Wuhan Institute of Technology Wuhan 430205 Hubei P. R. China
| | - Yilan Zhao
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Novel Reactor and Green Chemical Technology Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Process of Ministry of Education School of Chemical Engineering and Pharmacy Wuhan Institute of Technology Wuhan 430205 Hubei P. R. China
| | - Fengshou Wu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Novel Reactor and Green Chemical Technology Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Process of Ministry of Education School of Chemical Engineering and Pharmacy Wuhan Institute of Technology Wuhan 430205 Hubei P. R. China
| | - Xiaogang Luo
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Novel Reactor and Green Chemical Technology Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Process of Ministry of Education School of Chemical Engineering and Pharmacy Wuhan Institute of Technology Wuhan 430205 Hubei P. R. China
- School of Materials Science and Engineering Zhengzhou University No.100 Science Avenue Zhengzhou 450001 Henan P. R. China
| | - Xiulian Ju
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Novel Reactor and Green Chemical Technology Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Process of Ministry of Education School of Chemical Engineering and Pharmacy Wuhan Institute of Technology Wuhan 430205 Hubei P. R. China
| | - Genyan Liu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Novel Reactor and Green Chemical Technology Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Process of Ministry of Education School of Chemical Engineering and Pharmacy Wuhan Institute of Technology Wuhan 430205 Hubei P. R. China
| | - Hui Liu
- Department of Hematology Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University Wuhan 430060 Hubei P. R. China
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Niklasch M, Zimmermann P, Nassal M. The Hepatitis B Virus Nucleocapsid-Dynamic Compartment for Infectious Virus Production and New Antiviral Target. Biomedicines 2021; 9:1577. [PMID: 34829806 PMCID: PMC8615760 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9111577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a small enveloped DNA virus which replicates its tiny 3.2 kb genome by reverse transcription inside an icosahedral nucleocapsid, formed by a single ~180 amino acid capsid, or core, protein (Cp). HBV causes chronic hepatitis B (CHB), a severe liver disease responsible for nearly a million deaths each year. Most of HBV's only seven primary gene products are multifunctional. Though less obvious than for the multi-domain polymerase, P protein, this is equally crucial for Cp with its multiple roles in the viral life-cycle. Cp provides a stable genome container during extracellular phases, allows for directed intracellular genome transport and timely release from the capsid, and subsequent assembly of new nucleocapsids around P protein and the pregenomic (pg) RNA, forming a distinct compartment for reverse transcription. These opposing features are enabled by dynamic post-transcriptional modifications of Cp which result in dynamic structural alterations. Their perturbation by capsid assembly modulators (CAMs) is a promising new antiviral concept. CAMs inappropriately accelerate assembly and/or distort the capsid shell. We summarize the functional, biochemical, and structural dynamics of Cp, and discuss the therapeutic potential of CAMs based on clinical data. Presently, CAMs appear as a valuable addition but not a substitute for existing therapies. However, as part of rational combination therapies CAMs may bring the ambitious goal of a cure for CHB closer to reality.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Michael Nassal
- Internal Medicine II/Molecular Biology, University Hospital Freiburg, Hugstetter Str. 55, D-79106 Freiburg, Germany; (M.N.); (P.Z.)
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Hagan MF, Grason GM. Equilibrium mechanisms of self-limiting assembly. REVIEWS OF MODERN PHYSICS 2021; 93:025008. [PMID: 35221384 PMCID: PMC8880259 DOI: 10.1103/revmodphys.93.025008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Self-assembly is a ubiquitous process in synthetic and biological systems, broadly defined as the spontaneous organization of multiple subunits (e.g. macromolecules, particles) into ordered multi-unit structures. The vast majority of equilibrium assembly processes give rise to two states: one consisting of dispersed disassociated subunits, and the other, a bulk-condensed state of unlimited size. This review focuses on the more specialized class of self-limiting assembly, which describes equilibrium assembly processes resulting in finite-size structures. These systems pose a generic and basic question, how do thermodynamic processes involving non-covalent interactions between identical subunits "measure" and select the size of assembled structures? In this review, we begin with an introduction to the basic statistical mechanical framework for assembly thermodynamics, and use this to highlight the key physical ingredients that ensure equilibrium assembly will terminate at finite dimensions. Then, we introduce examples of self-limiting assembly systems, and classify them within this framework based on two broad categories: self-closing assemblies and open-boundary assemblies. These include well-known cases in biology and synthetic soft matter - micellization of amphiphiles and shell/tubule formation of tapered subunits - as well as less widely known classes of assemblies, such as short-range attractive/long-range repulsive systems and geometrically-frustrated assemblies. For each of these self-limiting mechanisms, we describe the physical mechanisms that select equilibrium assembly size, as well as potential limitations of finite-size selection. Finally, we discuss alternative mechanisms for finite-size assemblies, and draw contrasts with the size-control that these can achieve relative to self-limitation in equilibrium, single-species assemblies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael F Hagan
- Martin Fisher School of Physics, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454, USA
| | - Gregory M Grason
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
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